The following disclosure relates to devices having multiple drawers, and has particular application to apparatus and methods for preventing at least one drawer from accidentally opening in a multi-drawer device, such as a cabinet or the like.
Cabinets and other multi-drawer devices are constructed so that each drawer either automatically latches when closed, requires positive operation of an actuator to be latched, or has no latch at all. Drawers in filing cabinets are usually of the former character, while drawers in rolling cabinets must be positively actuated to latch them closed. The present application deals with a latch mechanism that is placed in its latched position automatically when the drawer is closed. It should be understood that latch mechanisms are separate from key-operated locks that may be included in cabinets. This application deals with the former, not locks.
In some latch mechanisms, the actuator is pivoted or rotated between its latched and unlatched conditions. When the cabinet is of the rolling type, that is, it may be moved from place to place on its rollers, such latch mechanisms can tend to inadvertently open, particularly if the floor is uneven. Known mechanisms incorporating a sliding structure have an actuator which is grasped by the user at a particular point to open it. Certain known drawer latch mechanisms require the use of two hands, one to unlatch the mechanism and the other to grasp the drawer pull and open the drawer. Such mechanisms are unsightly because their actuators are visible.
Other sliding latch mechanisms for a cabinet drawer are known to comprise a drawer latch mechanism which is less likely to open inadvertently when the cabinet in which it is used is rolled from one place to another, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,902. The user can grasp the latch mechanism at any point along its extent to open the drawer. The drawer latch mechanism is substantially concealed by the drawer pull. That mechanism can be unlatched and the drawer opened with one hand.
Various types of multi-drawer devices are provided with mechanisms to prevent at least one drawer from accidentally opening. However, many prior designs utilize multiple complex components and are not easily retrofitted to older multi-drawer devices without redesign of the multi-drawer devices. Examples of certain prior latching devices are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,388,902 and 5,403,139.
While some of these designs may be adequate for some uses, they tend to require the complete redesign of multi-drawer devices in order to incorporate the latching feature and are difficult to retrofit in existing multi-drawer devices.